Fans of The Wood Brothers finally have a wonderful way to relive their concert experiences, thanks to the band’s powerful new release Live At The Barn. Choosing to record their performance at Levon Helm’s legendary Woodstock barn made for a simple but accurate representation of the love the band lays down every night. Since their debut, listeners have been astounded at how well the sweet, nasal vocals and speedy guitar work of Oliver Wood fit with the aggressive and wide ranging bass work of brother Chris. What emerged from the sibling collaboration with multi-instrumentalist Jano Rix was a robust and hard charging blend of Americana and soul that is both widely accessible and completely distinctive.
Though anything is possible in a studio, Live At The Barn perfectly captures the deceptively powerful and inescapable catchiness of The Wood Brothers’ tunes. It doesn’t hurt that the recording is so perfectly done that never once is the listener shaken free from the rapturous hold that the music places them in by production issues. Opening track “Mary Anna” sets the tone right off the bat with brother Oliver’s every-man lyrical acceptance of blame and hope for forgiveness from the titular beauty. Mixing tempos from verse to chorus helps make his pleading for a second chance seem all the more earnest and real.
With the vibe set, they quickly move on to some of their most beloved tunes, with the disjointed percussion intro of “I Got Loaded” giving way to the borderline confessional tone of the tune. The small but exuberant crowd helps to sing of past and future benders, bringing everyone together in a glorious testament to the power of over-indulgence. With the crowd firmly behind them The Wood Brothers slow things down for a couple of tunes, “Tried And Tempted” and “Trouble In Mind.” Utilizing a wide variety of instrumentation, from melodica and harmonica to chilling acoustic slide guitar work give both tracks a slower and darker timber that takes the show vibe in a weightier direction.
Chris Wood adroitly disengages his more improvisational skill set to show off his ability to follow script with style on bass, while peppering in some serious harmonica chops as well. Boisterous cheers from the audience clearly show the crowd is ready to party, and tracks like “What The Devil” and “Wastin’ My Mind” give them plenty to hoot and holler about. Keenly aware of their location, The Wood Brothers make sure to pay tribute to their dearly departed host as they launch into an impressive, extended take on “Postcards From Hell.” As the song slowly builds towards a remarkable sky high jam their decision to allow the song to meander organically to that crescendo imparts a very natural, from the heart sentimentality that fits the dedication perfectly.
Unable to resist one last homage to Helm, The Wood Brothers take on one of The Band‘s most memorable tunes, “Ophelia,” to near perfect effect. Though well outnumbered by the song’s creators, this new take on the classic never feels anything less than a loving acknowledgement of the lasting mark left on the genre by Helm and his legendary bandmates. A “by-the-numbers” version would have been perfectly understandable, but doing anything less than whole-hardheartedly making the tune their own is simply not in the Wood Brothers’ musical make-up. What results is a truly uplifting send off for the lucky ticket holders and the listening world.
Equally adept at speaking from the heart and getting listeners up on their feet and dancing, this stellar trio have firmly established themselves as a must see band. For the first time their enthralling and jubilant in-concert vibe has been captured for fans to experience in their own homes. The true message of Live At The Barn is a simple one: if you like having your spirit lifted and heart filled with joy, then don’t miss The Wood Brothers when they come to your town. You won’t be sorry.